Ousewem

Developing a flood-resilient future

Project Overview

Ousewem is a landmark collaboration led by YDRT to deliver Natural Flood Management (NFM) across North Yorkshire. The project focuses on reducing flood risk for vulnerable communities in the Yorkshire Dales, particularly within the Swale, Ure, Nidd, and Ouse (SUNO) catchments.

By taking a catchment-wide, long-term approach to flood resilience, Ousewem is pioneering the use of nature-based solutions (NbS) to manage water, reduce the risk of flooding, and create additional benefits such as homes for wildlife. Innovative modelling, partnership working and collaboration underpin the work of this project.

Our specialist delivery team work with landowners and farmers to co-design interventions that work with nature to store, slow and absorb water, providing resilience to droughts and flooding which work in harmony with farming operations.

Learn more about Natural Flood Management (NFM):

Our partners

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust is supported by the City of York Council, which is leading the project in close collaboration with North Yorkshire Council.

We also have partnership support from Natural England, JBA and the University of York.

Ousewem is an innovative flood resilience project, funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood & Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme managed by the Environment Agency. The programme will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate.

We also work with a wide range of catchment partners including the Environment Agency, Dales to Vales Rivers Network, iCASP, NFM Practitioners, Nidderdale National Landscape, St Nicks, Yorkshire Peat Partnership, White Rose Forest, Woodlands Trust, WY FLIP, YRFCC, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Yorkshire Water, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and many more.

Get involved

To find out more email our delivery team at: ousewemdelivery@ydrt.co.uk